Duel
by Dan Rush
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke lose their cool and in the process they trash the Genin Accadamy. Now they must rebuild it under the eyes of the village's expert Ninja engineer. If they mess up, they're out of luck. WARNING: Strong language.


DUEL

A Sasuke/Naruto fan fiction

NARUTO© 2003, Registered trademark. All rights of the creator are deeply respected. This fan fiction is for non-monitary enjoyment only.

This fan fiction is rated PG-13, violence, a few cuss words, some sexual references.

Author's notes: Much of this fanfic was created by my wife and I in our back yard screaming at each other with rattan swords as Sasuke and Naruto. We have been writing fan fics for years and find that acting out the characters produces more lively and vivid descriptions. It also produces a few visits by the cops. Our next door neighbor called the police on us during our argument that forms the base of this fan fic. We would like to thank the Bremerton Police Department of Washington State for being so understanding.

Kurabayashi Kushino and the Ninja Engineers of the leaf: 20 years before Naruto's birth, 14 year old Genin Kurabayashi Kushino was gravely wounded during a mission against the rival Village of the Myst. He was partially paralyzed on his left side and has his left arm tied to prevent it from swinging loose. Retired from active duty, the young ninja studied architectural talents under master carpenter Tadayoshi Okane. Kushino organized drop outs from the Ninja academy into a battalion of combat engineers known as the Leaf Ninja Engineer Corps. During the battle of Kohana when Orochimaru assaulted the village and caused the demise of the 3rd, Kushino led his 150 strong battalion into combat at the critical moment when the leaf villagers counter attacked. Kushino lost 27 of his finest engineers including Genkoki his adopted young son.

The Kohana engineers are known for the tomahawks they carry called Kubakai. They are not only well rounded woodsman tools but versatile war weapons carried by those who pass their exams to become engineers.

**Village of the Hidden Leaf**

**PE field, Ninja Academy**

**Mid-day**

The spark that set all this in motion was an annoying ear flick by Naruto when Sasuke blew him off, like he had hundreds of times before when the hyperactive genin was seeking an attention fix.

Sasuke had dealt with Naruto the same way countless times before…just blow him off or make some snarly insult and he'd go away.

This time however…that ear flick broke the Shamezen string for the last time. Sasuke turned around and gave Naruto the hardest, most aggressive push he ever had. So hard it skipped him backwards almost tripping him.

Of course Naruto had to come back and he pushed back hard enough to send Sasuke skipping.

Sasuke came back to that…pushed and snarled "What's your problem loser?"

Naruto snapped back. "You're a stuck up ass hole, that's what."

One thing led to another and the escalation went up a notch when Sasuke slapped Naruto hard across his cheek. "You want to play you retarded shit!"

Naruto pushed Sasuke, hit him in the head and yelled. "Bring it on pussy!"

Then all hell started to go….till Sakura jumped into it. "CUT IT OUT YOU TWO!"

Sasuke screamed and pushed a finger in Naruto's face. "Be here tonight idiot! You and me, we'll settle this tonight! I've had it with your bull shit! 1 o'clock…I'm going to kick your stupid ass into the dirt nine-tailed faggot!"

Naruto snarled back. "Oh yeah….I've been wanting this too! A chance to put your smug face in a pile of dog shit! When I'm done with you, they'll call you Shitsuke!"

Sakura was left alone cringing with worry as the two boys stomped away cursing each other.

**PE field, Ninja Academy**

**1am**

Sakura ran to catch up to Sasuke as he walked towards the Genin Academy grounds carrying a set of Batsurake sticks. These fighting staff were 1" thick 5 foot iron pipes wrapped with leather strapping for padding. Even with that, they could bust bones when applied with enough force.

"Sasuke don't…don't do it, you know Naruto's goading you to do something stupid, this isn't worth it!"

Sasuke snarled coolly. "We've been coming to this for a while and you know it. Don't get in the middle of this Sakura, you're annoying me."

Sakura tried to block Sasuke but he calmly pushed her aside. "You come and hope we don't end up in the hospital or go home and cry into a rag…you try and stop us Sakura and I'll clock you out."

She slowly relented as Sasuke walked by her and went through the gate of the PE field. Naruto, as expected, was standing in the dirt pit flexing his fingers and pounding his fists into his palms with a self-confident smirk on his face.

"I was starting to think you would show up." Naruto said as he played with his head protector.

Sasuke walked up and whipped one of the lethal fighting sticks from his hand so hard that Naruto had to duck and catch it over his head, his arm stressing behind him from the speed of the whip.

"Here's the rules loser." Sasuke said snarling. "Strait hand to hand Tijutsu…no seals, no stupid naked girl tricks, no clones…got that retard?" Sasuke pointed to Sakura. "You "ref" this Sakura! The first one to stay down for ten loses."

"Might as well lay down now and save me the trouble prick." Naruto snorted as he spun his stick.

Sasuke stood smirking with self confidence when he suddenly caught Naruto with a vicious swipe to his hand! Naruto stood shaking his smarting hand as he cursed from the impact on his fingers.

"Oh? You weren't ready?" Sasuke snarled. "Not so good a ninja are you retard?"

Naruto quickly kicked the staff off the ground, caught it and started swinging a flurry of fast swipes and parries Sasuke easily blocked! He avoided a pool stick shot to the temple and returned a tip end slam into Naruto's shoulder.

"Huff……huff…..is that all you got?" Sasuke snickered. "I always wanted to ask if your jumpsuit was a mistake or if it's an advertisement for a prostitute?"

Naruto screamed. "I'LL BREAK YOUR NECK ASS HOLE!" and he flew into another flurry of moves! Finally he caught Sasuke in a mistake and smacked him hard in the cheek with a swing!

The uchiha staggered off balance blocking more swings until a 3 swing set slammed him in the stomach and fingers and sent him to his knees!

"That's a good place for you!" Naruto screamed. "Who's the retard now?! Shitsuke!"

Sasuke spit up the blood in his mouth and launched into an upper moving swing attack, catching the over-confident Naruto in his nuts! Sasuke jumped up, planted his staff and fast kicked Naruto in the face! He dropped down, pulled the staff up and baseball bat clocked Naruto in the nose, knocking him backwards and sending him sprawling in the dirt!

"Now who's in the right place?!" Sasuke screamed. "You suck as a ninja! Fucken Hokage, don't make me laugh! You're a sick disgrace! A joke! You should be cleaning shit from a horse stall you stupid fucken…."

Naruto threw his stick with the repelling force of his chakrah into Sasuke's chest! The Uchiha boy gagged and went wide eyed as Naruto shot up and caught him with a strong side kick, then two strong face punches, then a kick to a shin then a spinning back kick to a shoulder that sent Sasuke spinning to the dirt!

Naruto staggered as he recovered his stick. "Felt that huh Sasuke? The only loser is you! A smug, stupid, loser! I bet your brother Itachi laughs every time he thinks of you!"

That sent Sasuke into a rage! He charged Naruto, caught his stick and punched him all over the place, the last seven punches floored the mouthy boy and knocked a tooth out!

Sakura ran and tried to pull Sasuke off but he tossed her away like a rag doll. "I warned you to stay out of this!"

He didn't catch Naruto in time when he caught a hand full of balls and made Sasuke double over screaming as he stood up. "Wow! You got something? I thought you were really a girl!" Naruto started whaling on Sasuke's stomach, his face, his head…till suddenly his fist got caught in mid-flight and all hell rained back on him!

A foot smashed into his jaw as he tried to get up. Sasuke bounded away wiping blood from a cut lip and dirt from his eyes. "You worthless piece of shit! I'm not teaming up with you any more, fuck this! When I'm done you'll be in the hospital for a fucken year trying to get one of these polls out of your ass!"

Naruto spat viciously. "You fucken cheat! You used the Sharingan, I saw it!"

Sasuke's eyes popped. "NO I DIDN'T! DON'T CALL ME A CHEAT YOU IDIOT!"

"YOU DID! YOU FUCKEN DID! THAT DOES IT! MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

Sasuke shook his head. "Oh fuck!"

They exploded on him, nine Naruto's all at once swinging and kicking as Sasuke called forth his Sharingan to repulse their assault! Sakura bounded in again, this time against Naruto with a head lock!

"STOP IT NARUTO! STOP IT NOW! YOU'RE BOTH…."

He threw her off…"Get out of here before you get hurt Sakura!"

Sasuke smoked the last charging clone and quickly made the Uchiha seal for the fire style jutsu. "FIRE STYLE! ROLLING FLAME!"

Naruto went wide eyed as a fast flying malstrum of murdering flame soared at him from Sasuke's mouth! He dove for the ground fast, the flames scorching his hair and cutting a furious strip of burnt fabric over his back. It rolled onwards with raging power until it collided with an immovable object…

The academy building itself! The explosion of flame and debris could have been seen for a mile! Concrete, wood, glass, books, tables, chairs went sky high in a shimmering orange ball of consumption.

Both combatants sat or stood in shocked horror. It was Sasuke who framed the obvious consequence….."Oh…..fuck!"

He was about to bolt when a pair of strong hands snatched him by the arms and brutally slammed him into the dirt! Naruto didn't get a chance to stand before his arms were cranked behind his back and a pair of handcuffs slapped his wrists.

Sasuke looked back to see an Anbu ninja's mask looking back at him. "You're both coming with us."

**Next Morning**

**Office of the 3****rd**** Hokage**

Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side before the 3rd and others gathered in his small office. One of them, a small boney woman in a Jonin vest, was walking around the two boys like a vulture getting ready to rip apart a carrion. She had long black hair, deep black eyes and a face of anger that bore holes in anyone…Genin or otherwise.

She was Susine (Su-sen-ney) Daihun (Day-hoon) the headmaster of the Ninja Academy. She was well feared and respected by the school's students because of all the people of Kohana who could screw up your life, she was the master of purse strings. At her whim a Genin could quickly advance to Chunin or quickly degrade to a worthless street cleaner. If you were on her bad side? No God would help you.

Maybe that's why Naruto felt a sudden wetness in his underwear as she gave him a look that could kill a statue.

Behind the two shivering combatants were Kakashi, Iruka, Azuma and Guy-sensei and none of them were looking sympathetic.

Susine stood before Sasuke with a hate filled scowl. "Do one of you have any answers to what you've done? I'm sure some wisdom must lurk under those thick coatings of mucus that obviously clouded your judgment?"

"Nothing?" The small woman asked. She then brutally pulled the head protectors from Sasuke and Naruto and threw them on the 3rd's desk. "DO YOU TWO STUPID LITTLE BASTARDS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE THIS CLOSE TO BEING EXPELLED PERMINANTLY?! DO YOU!"

She jumped at Sasuke and slapped him hard in the kisser. "AND YOU! A member of

the Uchiha clan, someone who should be known for self control, reservation and grace under extreme stress in all things…YOU LITTLE PRICK! YOU ARE A DISGRACE!"

She then attacked Naruto. "There seems to be little excuse for you…a stupid little fuck up in school, a big fuck up now!"

"You BOTH have disgraced the Ninja academy, you both have ruined a wing of the school and you BOTH SHOULD BE REVOKED TO NOTHING MORE THAN A PAIR OF GOD DAMNED HORSE SHIT CLEANERS IF I HAD MY WAY ABOUT IT!"

Naruto had to open his trap. "Old man!" And for that he got a swift kick in the stomach that put him on his knees.

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO THE HOKAGE LIKE THAT YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE BASTARD!"

Susine stood over Naruto and jerked him back to his feet by his hair coughing and wincing. "Be thankful the Lord Hokage beseeched me not to reduce you both. But for what you've done, you will certainly catch hell. That will become obvious when you both go home to find your apartments empty. We did provide you with sleeping mats and that's it. You want to act like children, we will treat you like the children you are!"

The old woman got in Naruto's face. "Are you going to cry Uzamaki? Do you need a bottle and a diaper? You can go out that door without your headband, a simple solution that would serve our village better.

Naruto got pissed. He fought to control both his broken heart and his building rage.

"Consider this punishment, a probation. You will rebuild the school wing you destroyed…every brick, every beam and every ounce of concrete. You will do it under the astute control of Master Kurabashi Kushino, the Jonin of our combat engineers. You will work till you drop every day. You will eat together, work together and do nothing else but go to and from work. No one will speak to you, help you or even acknowledge you."

Susine snarled at Naruto. "If you fail to follow the rules or Master Kushino? You will never wear a headband again nor will you do anything more than carry a bucket of spit. Is this too difficult for you idiots?"

The boys didn't reply.

"Go to your apartments and think about what you have done. Master Kushino will pick you up in the morning….dismissed."

Sasuke slowly turned while naruto bolted past him and out the door, not wanting to have anyone see him upset. Sasuke tried to get Kakashi to look at him but got a viciously hate filled gaze in return that sent him out fast.

The air in the room quickly softened. Susine relaxed and rested in a chair next to the 3rd. "That was difficult."

"I am sadly disappointed in them." The old 3rd said resting his chin on his clenched hands. "You're not to blame for this Kakashi Sensei, clearly Naruto spun Sasuke too far. I'm surprised he was able to control himself that long."

Kakashi sighed deeply. "It is my fault Master. I wasn't being strict on Naruto as I should have been. He got away with too much freedom."

Guy smirked. "Your methods are not weak Kakashi but they do tend to have unintended results. I always told you that your scales were poorly balanced."

"That'll be enough from the clown gallery there guy." Kakashi snorted back.

"Gentlemen." Susine said snorting. "May I remind you that all this is about saving two excellent Genin? Today it was part of the academy…tomorrow one of them may watch the other brutally executed because their attitudes flawed a mission."

Susine turned to Kakashi. "How well will they cope with this test Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke should fair well since he's trained himself to live alone and subsist on his wit. Naruto though…I fear the lack of contact with anyone save Sasuke may cause him problems. He has been foolishly lucky though, don't ask me how but he gets himself out of bad situations by improvising and pluck."

The 3rd held the headbands tightly. "I don't want them to lose Susine, they're too precious to our village despite their short comings."

"Only Master Kushino can judge for sure Lord Hokage, trust his capable hands. I'm sure they will get an experience they'll never forget."

Naruto ran for the one place that always provided a measure of solace even when he was younger. The sweet smell of excellent ramen filled his nostrils and calmed his senses…until he got to the counter.

"Go away!" The cook said with a stern wave. "No ramen for you."

Naruto's face down turned. "but?...." He tried to show a coupon but the cook came out from behind the counter and shook his spoon. "You'll do as you're told and go home! Now get out you miscreant before I knock that stupid smirk off your face!"

It was so painful to (cooks name) to watch Naruto run off, probably crying to himself in abject pain that he started to weep. Not once had he ever rejected anyone from eating his ramen, not even common beggars. (female helper) came from behind and consoled him. "It is for the best. Lord Hokage would not have ordered it that way."

Naruto tore up the steps to his apartment and threw open the door to a mournful surprise. True to her word, Susine had everything taken. Naruto walked around his bare apartment sniffling until he dropped his jacket and sank to the floor in tears. He muffled the sounds in his coat and pounded out cuss words against not himself….but Sasuke.

**Sasuke's Apartment**

Sasuke stood in the emptiness of his apartment and shrugged it off. "Sheee" he calmly huffed out as he sat on his mat and moaped. Not that the potential loss of his head protector and his access to more ninja training wasn't causing a pit of knots in his stomach. He thought also about his parents and cringed, oh his Dad would be beyond livid, beyond angry, if anger could launch a man into the air his father would achieve orbit as another moon in the night sky….

Then Sasuke would be pleading for the beatings to end that was for sure. Stupid…how totally, irresponsibly stupid to be goaded into a fight by such a foolish jerk as Naruto. All for a stupid flick of his ear lobe, stupidly childish. He wanted to blow it off, he wanted to just throw his hands up, call Naruto another "You're such a loser" comment and walk away but the fool had gone too far that time. He needed a solid ass kicking.

But at what cost? Susine was right, Sasuke had disgraced the clan by submitting to a pathetic runt. He snarled at the thought that somewhere Itachi had heard about the brawl and was gleefully extolling his weak little brother's fall from grace.

**Naruto's Apartment**

At least they left the bathroom untouched, Naruto thought as he took off his jump suit and winced at the smell of piss all over his underwear. Another thing to add to his embarrassment he thought as he examined his jumper bottom for a dark spot where his "pudling" leaked through…

"Fucken Sasuke!" He snapped as he threw his pants into a nearby hamper and climbed into the soaking tub with a grimace. He was hurting from head to toe still from the many bruises and cuts that he absorbed from Sasuke. His head started to throb and he held it tightly till the pain passed.

"Stupid bastard. I hope he's hating it!" Naruto snarled over and over as he poured hot water over his head. "That stupid jerk, he should have backed off but nooooo…show off Sasuke wanted to fight…"

Naruto paused to rub his cheek where Sasuke knocked a tooth out. "Fucken ass hole." He then turned his anger on the nine-tailed fox sealed up inside his body. "And where were you flea bag?! I could have used your Chakrah to knock him out but nooooo "Fuck your vessel!" Naruto snapped.

Soon his thoughts drifted back to the punishment. The rebuke of his beloved Ramen chef was killing him. And failure, the very thought of being reduced to cleaning the streets and being treated lower than shit terrified him!

A little crying started to flow forth but Naruto shook his head and frowned. "Enough! No more crying and no more wetting your pants! It's bucking up time!"

Naruto climbed from the soaking tub and soaped himself furiously. "No more…the enemy has you surrounded, you have no more weapons but a stick and everything looks hopeless….what will you do?"

He scowled deeply. "You got your teeth, a stick and your fist. Fuck surrender!" He screamed aloud and threw a fist into the air. "I will not surrender to Sasuke, I will not lose to anyone. I'm going to fight….I'm going to attack and I'm gonna fucken win!"

A sudden blast of pain shot through his chest. Obviously his muscles were deciding something else…

"First? I'm gonna go to bed before I can't move anymore." He said as he hobbled over to a towel, dried himself off and dressed in a clean happy coat.

As he walked into his bare living room, Naruto happened to glance out of the window and catch Iruka-Sensei staring up at him from the street. Quickly Naruto tore open the door and shouted down…."Sensei?! Iruka-Sensei!!"

Iruka turned away and started walking till he heard the clopping of Naruto's slippers behind him. "Sensei?"

Iruka turned with the meanest face he could show. "Go back to bed…you embarrassed me today."

The words hit Naruto like terrible fists. "Iruka-sensei….please….don't….."

Iruka's face turned into cold steel and he gave Naruto such a hard slap in the face that he almost spun in place from it. "Don't talk to me….don't call my name and don't try hiding behind me!" Iruka snarled into Naruto's face. "I have nothing to say to you…go home or so help me "I" will be the one who personally revokes your head protector! You have made my gift to you an embarrassment!"

Naruto shook from the rebuke and it hurt him savagely. Iruka kept giving him the hate face as Naruto sobbed all the way into his apartment. For Iruka, treating his beloved "adopted son" like that brought devastation to his heart. He turned a corner and saw Kakashi leaning against a lamp post.

"That must have been difficult." He said sounding tired.

Iruka wiped a tear from his eye. "I love him dearly and I know this is for his own good Kakashi but…what if we go too far?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I refuse to believe that our lovable knucklehead would give up the ghost so easily. The only thing that can seriously hurt Naruto is himself and that's the great weakness he has to face."

Kakashi placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "Naruto is still an unsteady walker my friend. We must stand back and pray he'll go beyond holding a table without our hands to catch him when he stumbles."

Iruka sighed and nodded. "Would you like to come over to my place? You and I haven't sat to a good bottle of wine in years."

Kakashi smiled under his face mask. "You know my weaknesses well."

Back in his apartment, Naruto slapped himself. "Stop crying you little baby! Damn you! You know Iruka-Sensei's true feelings, he's doing this out of love…but it hurts! It hurts so much! I don't want people calling me a loser! I don't wanna lose my head protector! I want to win!..."

Naruto snarled as he curled up. "I will make Sasuke recognize me…that fucken stuck up Uchiha bastard."

Naruto soon drifted off to a hard sleep…and how he wished it was a long and peaceful one.

**Morning**

He felt the hard boot kick him once in the back and he rolled over to embrace it with a happy moan…"Iruka-sensei…I knew you'd come."

"What? Get up you little punk!" A snarling female voice said as a hand snatched a clump of blonde hair and shook his head viciously. "UP! GET UP BEFORE I KICK YOU ALL OVER THIS APARTMENT!"

Naruto screamed and held his hair as he stood up and faced his tormentor. She turned on a flashlight and waved it in his sleepy face. "Come on boy, we don't have all morning to doddle."

She pushed him out of his apartment as soon as he was dressed and on his feet. Down below in the street, Sasuke was keeping his eyes front and his head unmoving. At this point in his life, shutting his trap and listening was the best strategy.

Naruto finally got a good look at the girl. She was dressed in a long khaki sweat shirt, black pants and brown and black boots. Most of her head and hair were hidden by a khaki cap with a long cloth sun-shade on the back to protect the neck from sun burn. The Leaf symbol was embroidered in green on the front with the kanji "**konbattochi-mugi jutsusha no ninpou****"****"Combat Engineers Ninja".**

** Naruto gazed at the hat and got a slap in the head as they walked. "Eyes front boy. You haven't the respect to look at me. When you earn the right, then you can look."**

** He frowned as he gave Sasuke a cross-look. "Smug ass." Naruto thought. Sasuke looked un-phased by being rousted so early. Naruto made a face at him quick enough not to get caught by the potential tyrant behind him. Sasuke's avoidance was so bullshit.**

** They walked through an opening in the playground fence and saw a lone figure standing in the wreckage of the wing Sasuke's rolling flame had obliterated. He was dressed similar to the girl behind them except the gray construction hard hat he wore in place of a head protector. Sasuke noticed that the man's left arm was tucked into a much larger pants pocket than usual and that it was limp, weak.**

** The other hand was grasping an unusually short ax or hatchet which the man swung back and forth slowly as if in deep thought.**

** "Tatsujin!" The girl said with a stiff greeting. "Toraburume-ka desu."**

** The man waved the hatchet. "You may go Sanshen."**

** The wait for him to say anything was torture, at least five minutes went by before the man holstered his hatchet. "So….you're the two Miscreants who've done this. And this is why I have to lose precious time with my engineers?"**

** The man turned around and approached Sasuke and Naruto. He was big, not tall wise but just in bulk. He had short cropped black hair. His face and hands were marked with cuts and small scars. He snatched one of Naruto's hands and compared it with one of his hard, callused own. "Look on this boy, this is the mark of labor. Your hand is the mark of a whelp, a dish washing boy better suited to woman's work."**

** He threw Naruto's hand aside. "So what do you two do? You spend your idol time fighting and trashing the schools of our younger warriors? Well we shall surely rectify this problem won't we?"**

** Kushino reached behind his back with his good arm and brought out two notebooks and pencils. "Here. You will write down everything I tell you that's important. You will study what has been written and repeat it every morning for the time you work with me and my engineers. Failure to do so will result in your dismissal and we know what happens then don't we?"**

** Both boys nodded as Kushino raised a finger. "Write this down…Dis-union is poor cement. Failure to bond is a failure to hold up a strong house." He watched the boys scribble his words. "You!" He pointed to Sasuke. "First rule you ever learned in the academy?"**

** Sasuke replied. "Speak only when told, listen all the time!"**

** "Show off." Naruto replied. He quickly got a pop in the mouth.**

** "Maybe you should heed good advice." Kushino warned. "Before we begin, it is important that we get the blood flowing with the right spirit. Stretching exercises begin!"**

** Kushino took them through an hour of stretches, calisthenics and fast sprints before passing them rice balls and bottles of water for breakfast. "Eat quick and hold one bottle back. You'll need that for the whole day. It's important that you keep properly hydrated out here…write that down."**

** The boys turned their attention to their note books for only a second when a series of sharp explosions shook the ground under their feet. They looked up to see the rest of the damaged school wing collapse into itself.**

** "Oh…I forgot to mention we would bring down the rest of the wing for you. It's the only help you'll get from my students."**

** Kushino walked over to a hand cart and pulled two sets of working gloves and shovels out of it. "I want the debris picked up and thrown into the horse carts as they come up. You better fill them quickly to my satisfaction or I'll bust your butts real quick. Get to it."**

** "Wait!" Kushino interrupted. "By the way…did I mention that you'll probably get a berating from the academy students for trashing their building? If I hear a single flip of the lip or a single note of disrespect to these young warriors from you? You'll be eating soap with your lunch or nursing a bloody lip. Do you understand?"**

** The boys nodded.**

** "Get to work and don't waste my time." Kushino stood back and watched as Naruto and Sasuke separated and started carrying their own loads to the cart. He walked up to them and pushed the rubble from their hands. "What did I say? Don't bother with the small stuff yet…both of you grab the largest portions together, things will go faster."**

** He watched them strain over a large piece of debris and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder. "Please tell me your Kakashi Sensei at least taught you chakrah control?"**

** "Yes Sir." Sasuke nodded.**

** "Then apply it…both of you." Sasuke's hands flowed with a haze of blue chakrah as he applied an opposing force to take the weight off his portion of the debris. Naruto however was slow to catch on to the idea…**

** "Hey stupid." Sasuke said smartly…he then regretted it when Kushino snatched him by his shirt.**

** "Drop it." Kushino snarled. He then pulled Sasuke roughly to one side. "If I hear "stupid" "idiot" "loser" or "retard" from your mouth again? You'll lose more teeth than he did. Do you understand?"**

** Sasuke nodded smartly. Kushino threw him aside. "Twenty laps around the yard….MOVE IT!"**

** Kushino walked back to Naruto. "You want to join him? Get back to work."**

** It was starting to get light outside and the sounds of screaming kids filled the air as another day of classes began for the Acadamy students. Naruto had shorn off his already sweat infested jacket and was stacking timbers from the building frame when some of the kids came up and stared at him while he worked.**

** "That must be one of them. I heard two Genin trashed our classroom." A girl said frowning.**

** "Yeah, all my notes were ruined." Another snorted.**

** "Jerk!"**

** "Jerk!"**

** "Why don't you trash your own house stupid!"**

** Naruto shook and spun around. "WHY DON'T YOU BRATS JUST SHUT UP!"**

**30 Minutes later…**

** "****Fiiifteen……..siiiixteen….." Naruto struggled to push himself up under the weight of a large sack of concrete mix on his back.**

** "I warned you not to open your fat trap." Master Kushino snorted as he hung over Naruto's contorted face. "It's time for break." He said as he removed the bags and helped Naruto to his feet. **

** He was forced to sit with Sasuke at the break table, another heaped pain atop pain. They sat silent and not looking at each other for 5 minutes. Kushino leaned down between them. "You could build a thunder cloud down here. Care to explain the silence?"**

** Sasuke brooded. "There's nothing to talk about."**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "Ditto."**

** "Well…" Kushino said nodding. "What about this thing hanging off your jacket? Why do the Uchiha wear these bell top shirts?" Kushino dropped a pad of paper between them. "How about what you think the new Acadamy wing should look like?"**

** Sasuke took the pad and scribbled a square.**

** "And that is?" Kushino asked.**

** "The floor." Sasuke returned pursing his lips at Naruto, who looked at it queerly.**

** "It's not square." He said contorting his face. He looked at the empty space and tapped his head. "Why not make it different? Round?"**

** Sasuke brooded. Then caught himself in mid-sentence. "Because…..it was our study hall remember? It's always been square."**

** Naruto scratched his head. "And it was the darkest room in the whole building, I had trouble reading even in good light!"**

** Sasuke sat back. "I wouldn't know myself…since I spent better time working on my jutsu outside."**

** Kushino patted the table. "A nice start, now get back to work. I want half of this cleaned up before dinner at least."**

** The rest of the day was a struggle at best. At one point Sasuke and Naruto discarded their leather working gloves, much to their regret. By dinner their hands were scrapped and chaffed badly. They both sat shaking them in the air to cool and dent the pains they felt.**

** "Write this down." Kushino said gruffly. "Injuries no matter how slight will slow our progress. When we have things to protect our bodies, we will use them or suffer a longer period in hell."**

** They got the hint quick. But gloves weren't going to protect muscles and by the fall of the sun both of them were near tears from the aches and feeling much older than they looked.**

** At 8pm Kushino stood on the concrete floor of the former study hall and nodded. "A good start, a little rough but a good start. You can both go home now, same time tomorrow. Remember to study your notes."**

** Sasuke and Naruto didn't give each other a look as they separated and went home. As they vanished into the village night, Kushino called for a young Genin to join his side.**

** "Yes Father?" The boy said with a slight bow. Kushino rested a hand on his shoulder.**

** "Tomorrow, I want you to ride those two hard. If they thought being slapped around by a Jonin was enough, I want to see how they react when a Genin rips into them."**

** The boy bowed. "Hai Father."**

**Sasuke's Apartment**

** Sasuke dunked his hands into the cold sink water and shuddered as the salt he poured into it worked on the scrapes and calluses.**

** "Ouch! Damn!" He snarled. "It wouldn't be bad if that lazy slug Naruto would do his share! "Let's make it round." Yeah Naruto, I'll make it round….as round as your stupid head."**

**Naruto's Apartment**

** Naruto walk stripped once he came through the door and for a moment he lay on his back looking at the ceiling and gasping at the fatigue that overwhelmed him. "Damn that Kushino's a bastard! I feel like that idiot Sasuke made me do most of the chakrah spending! "It was square before…." Duh Sasuke!"**

** Naruto looked at his hands and took comfort that the Kyuubi locked in his belly showed a little concern for his vessel. The cuts and scrapes were gone but the tiredness couldn't be helped. Naruto rolled onto his stomach and winced as every muscle burned furiously with pain. He crawled slowly into his bathroom and pulled himself into the soaking tub with a pleased sigh of relief.**

** He drifted off into sleep thinking that while the punishment was hard, it couldn't get any worse.**

**Next Morning**

** A hand slapped the top of Naruto's head. "Hey! Get up! Have you been in the tub all night?!"**

** Naruto shook and exploded the water around him as he grabbed a towel. "DUH?! WHAT?! WHO ARE YOU?!"**

** The Genin snatched Naruto by the hair. "DOES IT MATTER TO YOU? GET OUT OF THAT TUB OR YOU'LL BE LATE JERK!"**

** Naruto grunted as he got roughly pushed out his door. "I'm going!"**

** Sasuke smirked a bit at Naruto's wet hair. "Pulled you from the tub?"**

** "Duh!" Naruto replied shaking. "And out into the cold too!"**

** The Genin snapped. "It might have been worse! I could have ordered you to wear just your draws dumb shit."**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "This guy can cuss at us but we have to shut up."**

** "Don't make it worse!" Sasuke snapped.**

** They walked onto the field and stood looking for Kushino but all they got was this much shorter and very antagonistic boy dressed in the black work pants, khaki top and khaki hat as their last escort.**

** "Begin exercises now!" The Genin screamed.**

** Naruto shrugged. "Where's Master Kushino?"**

** The Genin snorted back. "The Master gave you to me today. Begin exercises now!"**

** Sasuke huffed and got the shock of his life when the small Genin clocked him with a fast and powerful side kick to the face. "You want to push your luck?!"**

** Naruto took off like a shot running around the grounds while Sasuke recovered. "Move it like you move your mouth fool."**

** After the exercises, Sasuke and Naruto stood trying to bring forth what they memorized, or failed to memorize since they crashed from exhaustion. Their efforts were further rewarded by more exercise.**

** "The master wants the following written down…" The boy said as he referred to his own book.**

** "When you can't hammer more, hammer one more nail."**

** "The stupid ideas of others can be made to profit."**

** "Stretch after straining…you won't end up sleeping in the tub." "That's my own addition." The Genin said as he pointed to the school. Finish cleaning the rest of the debris off by noon…..Go!"**

** This time they kept the gloves on as they worked. The Genin was having a ball with them and the effect was obvious with every dismal groan and grunt uttered as they grabbed some of the heavy support timbers and lumbered them into the cart.**

** At one point the Genin stopped them short. "I think a little more exercise is needed here. I want you to throw this beam over your heads and switch the shoulders from right to left on my command."**

** "Left!"……."Right!"……"Left!"….."Right!"…..**

** Using their chakrah, Naruto and Sasuke pushed harder and faster to keep up till the Genin told them to drop the beam. It was Sasuke who tempted fate in asking….**

** "Hey! Why are you guys riding us so hard? I thought rebuilding the wing…"**

** "First of all. You wouldn't "get ridden" if you didn't act stupid! Then you wouldn't be getting abused by a fellow Genin! Everything has a purpose to it, the Master dictates what you do and you will very well do it or you can forget your Shinobi existence! Pick up that beam, put it on the cart and clear this concrete out or forget having lunch."**

** Naruto gasped. "Fuck!" He quickly shut his trap when the Genin cocked his arms. **

**"You want to say something?" The Genin snarled.**

**Lunch**

** Sasuke pointed to the sketch Naruto made of the Acadamy building. "See how awkward the design would be? We'd have to clear away a ton of brush and trees to put in something like this? I mean how long are you wanting us to stay suspended?"**

** Naruto waved his hands. It's not about length Sasuke. If we're gonna be shacked to this thing why not leave behind something to be proud of?"**

** "Because it's too grand Naruto! Rebuilding the old design would be simple…"**

** Naruto stood up, shook a finger and stormed away growling as Sasuke sat back down to look at the drawing again. "Do you see what I put up with?"**

** The Genin made no visual choices known. "One of the lessons during this whole ordeal you two are going through is actually getting used to talking with each other. Your Sensei Kakashi told my father that you two don't say two words at each other."**

** Sasuke frowned. "Your……father?"**

** "Well….my adoptive father. Master Kushino adopted me after the death of my mother. He's a hard teacher, you probably have a dozen names for him by now but everything has a purpose eventually."**

** By this time Naruto returned. "Ok Sasuke. Let's hear what you're thinking."**

** After an hour, all three stood looking at the untouched section of walkway that went to the old study hall. "I say we take 15 feet off this walkway and build your idea but with a library and not just a study hall. I mean look where the library is now, half way down the street from here, totally stupid."**

** "Yeah." Naruto snorted. "Having to walk there during the monsoons? That sucked."**

** The Genin smirked. "That's enough talk for now. Back to work. You need to make up your minds and wall off this portion of the school before nightfall."**

** The rest of the day was easier. A lot of hammering and cutting with the Genin showing both of them the fine points of both. He wasn't so bad after all but he wasn't a slacker. Before the end of the day he had both of them doing sprints up and down the athletic field till they tripped up over their tired legs.**

** "It's not going to get easier. You two better get used to be physically pushed because once you start actually building this, you'll need every ounce of strength you build up."**

** The Genin pointed to their notebooks. "Write this down… "Four hands…one mind."**

**Sasuke's Apartment**

** Sasuke heard the crackling in his joints as he started stretching about his living room. He'd picked up on the Master's advice and found his post-working pains much released.**

** Was he crazy? He thought to himself as he grabbed that pad of paper full of their sketches, did he just? Sasuke fell against a wall and shuddered. "I didn't just approve of Naruto's idea, I actually made it bigger? UGH! We'll be building this stupid thing for years!"**

** Sasuke bit his lip. "Damn it! They can't be serious about keeping us penned in like this, we'll both have to retrain by the time we're done!"**

** "NARUTO YOU!!" Sasuke threw the pad across the room and sank to the floor. Now all his aspirations seemed to be farther off than before.**

**Naruto's apartment**

** He thought about it, then dropped his hands. "Ugh…I just want to talk to somebody, anybody different than Sasuke." Naruto trudged around his room, every so often reading from his notebook and repeating everything through his quiet lips. A shadow clone would have been annoying, he realized giving them the ability to talk was a real liability. For once he heard how his own voice would have sounded to someone else and shuddered at its ridiculous quality.**

** He then thought of the Nine-tail Fox demon. He thought he'd seen it once, when he was 5 years old and sleeping out in the woods. The experience, or nightmare as Naruto remembered it, was so real and so vivid that he could recall every detail right down to the varied measures of rust on the large sealed gate that kept Kyuubi no Ktsune a prisoner.**

** The "voice" enough was terrorizing, it threatened to grab Naruto by the ankles and rip him in half slow enough to enjoy every last scream…Naruto still remembered that too from rolling in the puddle of piss when his bowels emptied in horror.**

** But still there was so much he could probably learn from Kyuubi, if he had the courage to face him and keep his wits. All the Fox had to do was catch one slip and he could take over Naruto's body…then what?**

** How he pondered that as he sat on his sleeping mat. Did he dare to try a deep meditation? No one would be there if things went South quick. For the moment he thought about Sasuke. He didn't have anyone to talk to, why should Naruto feel privileged? He wandered back and forth on it before stretching out the kinks and tightness in his muscles.**

**CHAPTER TWO**

** A long three weeks had past since Sasuke and Naruto finished cleaning up the work site and trimming back the walk way so they could start laying the base for the new study. Naruto came out of his apartment, his sleeping schedule now set to the riggers of the morning exercises.**

** He came out reading through his note book and quickly realized….it was pouring rain in a torrent and he had no rain gear to speak of. A Chunin was yelling from the street waving a slicker poncho in his hand. "Hurry up or you can swim to work!"**

** Sasuke pouted under his slicker. "What can we possibly get done today?"**

** The Chunin slapped a shoulder. "First of all…exercise."**

** "In the rain!" Naruto complained. "Don't we get any slack?!"**

** "I take it you're both fair weather….oh I forgot, you're not Genin right now are you?"**

** Sasuke frowned. "You guys take great pleasure in reminding us."**

** By the end of the exercise session. The rain slickers proved absolutely worthless. The boys walked soaked to the skin and covered in mud with the Chunin into the woods beyond the villages west gate. He got them to sit on a fallen log while he pulled out a set of tuning forks. "These are your first best tools. We're going to cut down some Spruce trees for your design."**

** Sasuke looked at Naruto in an uppity smirk. "Told you he'd chose my idea."**

** "Actually the master blended them but let's not pick at it or we won't get done."**

** Naruto looked at his fork. "How is this going to cut down a tree? I guess we sit and hope the vibrations snap the trunk."**

** The Chunin hit the side of a tree with a fork. "The idea is to listen to the resonation in the fork. A sharp clear resonance says the tree is well formed, solid and ripe. A dull pling means you don't touch it. We need 58 spruces so you better get to banging."**

** Naruto spent a half hour on one tree. "I think my fork is broken."**

** Sasuke walked up and tapped his on the tree. "Nope…you're tone deaf."**

** Naruto snorted. "I don't think this one's ready." He walked over to another one and smiled at the strong thrum. "This should be the center post."**

** Hours later, the Chunin dropped a pair of axes in their hands. "Now….start chopping them down. Stand legs apart, body erect and lay into the trunk with a level swing. You're going to cut enough of a wedge out to send the tree down. After that we'll hook it up to a couple of horses and haul it to the academy.**

** Taking each side of the tree, the boys started swinging into it, their blades splintering pieces off a little at a time until the trunk snapped and they ran to avoid the crash.**

** "Shoot! That was cool!" Naruto snorted as he picked another tree. "Hey! Let's make a story with each cut!"**

** Sasuke snorted. "Let's not."**

** "THWACK!" "Hey little fox!" Come on Sasuke, don't be a sour puss. "THWACK!" "Hey little fox!"**

** Sasuke shook his head. If he didn't humor Naruto he'd get "foxed" to death for sure. "THWACK!" "sitting in the tree."**

** "THWACK!" "Hey little fox!"**

** "THWACK!" "Why you lookin at me."**

** "THWACK!" "With your evil little eyes."**

** "THWACK!" "And your drooling little teeth."**

** "THWACK!" "If you don't stop lookin."**

** "THWACK!" "CRUNCH!"**

** "That got tiring fast." Naruto said pursing his lips.**

** "How about a wager?" Sasuke suddenly said smirking. He looked at the Chunin for a warning before he continued. "The person who can chop down the most trees the fastest? Gets to eat the others lunch."**

** Naruto couldn't resist. "You are so on!"**

** They each raced to a tree and started unloading swings on them as fast as they could throw their weight around. The trunks exploded in audible breaks as they jumped to their next set and started swinging into them!**

** The Chunin welcomed the entertainment…so long as the trash talk was in good jest.**

** Sasuke's ax handle exploded in shards as he applied chakrah to his swings. "Throw me another ax quick!"**

** "Too slow!" Naruto snarled gleefully as he tipped his tree and jumped to the next. Sasuke finished his last one and went nuts on the next one till they both fell over.**

** On it went until both of them were laying on the ground wishing they didn't make such a crazy bet. Sasuke winced…"Oh my arms are burning!"**

** "Huff, huff…..I beat you." Naruto said proudly.**

** "No you didn't!" Sasuke snapped back. "I forgot where we were….shit!"**

** The Chunin helped them to their feet. "Did you save anything for the rest of the day?"**

** Naruto snarled happily. "I got more than he does. Bring on those horses!"**

** Naruto and Sasuke surfed on the logs as they were dragged by the team of horses into the academy grounds. They were totally oblivious to the rain and to the strange looks the academy students gave them as they stacked the logs up and became totally covered in mud.**

** Sasuke grabbed up a gob full in his hand and socked Naruto in the back of the head and soon both of them were going at it till the Chunin got dragged into it.**

** "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Came a snarling scream from behind the horses. The two boys stood side by side as Master Kushino walked up. "You two are having way too much fun with this. Start running around the track."**

** Kushino chided his Chunin. "So what happened?"**

** "I gave them axes Master and they dueled. I have to say they tore through these trees like bats out of hell….they broke 13 axes."**

** Kushino snorted. "Good for them. Nothing wrong with some well applied aggression release. Send em home after 30 minutes."**

**Home of Kakashi-Sensei**

** Kushino smelled the aroma of the mint tea Kakashi had prepared and was satisfied as the taste rolled over his tongue. "Shear excellence. You must travel to get these cut leaves Kakashi."**

** "My nin-dogs bring them every so often during exercises and missions. Pakun is very sensitive to the grade of smell, he always finds the best pick." Kakashi said as he turned his attention to Naruto and Sasuke. "How are they doing?"**

** Kushino sat back in his chair. "Resilient devils, they've settled into the routine. I'm not sure about when they're off work though, so far they're staying put in their apartments by themselves. I would guess the loneliness has some affect."**

** Kakashi pouted. "You make it sound as if their punishment was too severe."**

** Kushino shook his head. "Examples had to be made, especially to our younger prospects. There's nothing wrong with a little iron boot every so often. I don't expect any serious trouble from them to be honest."**

**Sasuke's Apartment**

**The blanket and note were a small comfort. ****_"Know that I watch you and know you will not fail yourself or all of us." _****Kakashi had written. Sasuke smiled, it wasn't often Kakashi gave such light sentiment. Swinging and stretching his arms, Sasuke welcomed the fatigue brought on by his ax bout with Naruto. He did give the blonde knucklehead some credit, he was packed with raw power like a grape shot. Sasuke knew he'd won though, it was Naruto who broke most of the axes swinging. That power was not lost on Sasuke's mind, had they gone into a real knock down drag out brawl? He might have punched Sasuke into the dirt till he was dead pulp.**

**Naruto's Apartment**

** The blanket and the note were….well they were. Naruto was so exhausted he didn't care. A quick bath and study of his notes couldn't fight the exhaustion. Sasuke had really put up a fight and the only reason Naruto thought he won was how he kept track of the tree falls. But it was miserably close.**

** Naruto felt he had just enough strength to pull a shadow clone and for good reason. He hated nightmares and for the past two weeks he'd been losing sleep over some zingers, real terrifying heart bangers that made him cry. Even with the note from Iruka-sensei, he was still all alone every day, still denied by all. It was a miserable existence broken only by the daily dealing with Sasuke.**

** He said the words quietly and a Naruto clone dressed in an orange jump suit appeared. "What up?" It asked loudly.**

** "Shhhhh….don't shout!" Naruto warned. "I want you to watch me while I sleep for an hour or two."**

** "Big baby." It snorted. "Fuck, what a waste of good Chakrah."**

** "Just do it!" Naruto snapped. "I really have to work on controlling you guys better."**

** "You should work on your sex life too."**

** "Fuck you!"**

** Naruto turned over and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket. Soon his fatigue threw him into a seriously deep sleep, leaving his poor clone to suffer with all the snoring. "I should shove sock down his throat, no wonder he lives by himself."**

**Two hours later….or so he thought it was.**

** Naruto awoke and found himself sitting in….something wet. He stood up in the dark and reeled from the putrid odors assaulting his sensitive nose. He shook his head and realized he wasn't where he should have been, at least he didn't wear his orange jump suit to sleep as he remembered.**

** He looked about for any sort of structure to this word and finally had his hands fall on a wall, the rubbing telling him it was thick stones and concrete. "Man it smells terrible!" He complained as he felt along the wall for a possible way out.**

** When his hands fell upon cold iron however, Naruto pursed his lips and silently cursed. He looked upwards to gaze on the multi-colored and very large paper sutra seal that covered the meeting joint between the two huge iron gates. He knew where he was now, though it was only the second time in his young life he came upon the 4****th****'s cell for the "Kyuubi no Kitsune".**

** Naruto harked an ear towards the gates and heard the low rumble of an animal's breath. He played his fingers over his lips and debated his options. He could always hope his real body was trying to toss or turn to get the clone to smack him awake…he could hope but at the moment as the time got progressively longer, it wasn't going to happen any time soon.**

** Naruto slowly eased back from the gate and cleared his throat. "Uh……hello?" Hey said quietly at first. When he didn't hear a response, he yelled…**

** "HEY FOX! ARE YOU ASLEEP?!"**

**"KERSLAM!!!"**

**The force of a massive body slamming into the bars threw Naruto onto his back and he sat repulsed and shaking the scummy wetness off of him as the space behind the bars changed from a dead black to a shimmering red.**

** The voice was a menacing scratchy deep growl who's tone shook everything with a pulsing resonance. "Who are you?.....My jailer?" It asked as the red shimmer vanished only briefly. It was now replaced by a set of devilish yellow eyes that bore their way through Naruto's chest as he stood brooding.**

** "Well….not exactly." Naruto replied. "I'm kind of the jail cell."**

** The Kitsune's eyes narrowed. "Ahhhh….the brat!"**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "I'm pretty popular."**

** The Kitsune smashed into the bars again and screamed. "YOU ARE A FILTH INFESTED HUMAN VERMIN!!LET ME OUT OR KNOW THAT SOMEDAY I WILL KILL YOU!!"**

** The gates were straining above him but the 4****th****'s seal held fast. Naruto clenched his fists. "THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO YOU ANY GOOD YOU STUPID FLEA BAG!!"**

** "WHY YOU MISERABLE LITTLE CUR! ROTTED PIECE OF FLESH NO MORE WORTHY OF BEING A PICK IN MY TEETH!!"**

** "OH GO AHEAD AND SCREAM ALL YOU WANT!" Naruto snarled. "DON'T THINK HAVING YOUR STUPID HAIRY ASS PARKED IN MY GUTT'S BEEN A FUCKEN PICNIC!! I HATE YOU!!"**

** The shouting match subsided for a bit, leaving Naruto huffing and scowling in a rage. "My life's been fucked because of you fox. Right now you're the only thing I get to talk too and trust me so far I'm not impressed."**

** Kyuubi growled back. "Impressed? I would like to hear you scream as I slowly impress my teeth into your rotten skull."**

** "Wow, I'm so scared. Well it's not my fault you decided to attack our village, murder a few hundred people and end up in my rotten stomach. By the way? Do you like ramen?"**

** The answer was an obvious no as the fox jumped into a worse rage and actually forced the gates apart, though not breaking their seal! Naruto awoke in his apartment with a crying scream as his clone bit into his ear lobe to wake him up.**

**Next morning**

** Naruto trudged out of his apartment and for once he was early, catching Sasuke and their female Chunin "babysitter" as they walked down the street.**

** "Up on the wrong side of the bed?" Sasuke asked.**

** Naruto snorted at him, then smiled at the Chunin. "No….just talking to myself most of the night, boring conversation, I wasn't impressed."**

** "I'm not surprised." Sasuke said huffing. "We're going to start working out the main posts today. Think you can keep up?"**

** The Chunin girl shook her head. "You two like to make a contest of everything don't you?"**

** "It helps pass the time." Naruto replied. "He begs for it all the time!"**

** Sasuke smirked. "Only to amuse you Naruto because it drives you crazy." **

** After exercises and the morning repeat of what they had learned, Naruto and Sasuke sat learning how to turn the raw trunks of spruce into finished ribs for the new study hall. It turned out that the finishing work didn't lend itself well to competition and both of them looked at their first attempts with gross disappointment.**

** "We're gonna be here alllllllllllllllll……winter." Naruto said dejectedly.**

** "So much for competition." Sasuke snorted. "I could probably still out-sand you though."**

** "You wanna bet?" Naruto snorted back.**

** The female Chunin slapped her head. "These two would be silly enough to have a public urinal contest if they felt like it!"**

** Much of the afternoon was spent on a single support rib. At least they were focused with Sasuke spending an hour or more studying the surface of the wood for imperfection.**

** "Well?" Naruto asked the Uchiha as he walked about studying the wood and shaving it. "You're driving me crazy!"**

** Sasuke pointed. "Go over to that one and start the rough cuts if you're so board."**

** Naruto snatched up a long ax and started cutting into the trunk. "At the rate you're working? We should be done when we're both 50."**

** "That's about right." Sasuke said grinning. "At that rate you'll be an old panty sniffing pervert still swooning for Sakura."**

** "Kiss my ass!" Naruto snapped. "You sure you're not into other guys? I never see you looking at girls."**

** Sasuke smirked. "I'm too busy training."**

** Naruto snatched a short ax and started doing slow chops to shape out the next support beam. "Too busy looking at other boys."**

** The Chunin slapped Naruto off the head. "Less spouting bull….more work."**

** At the end of the day, both of them looked over their completed handy work. "Five so far? We could have these up by the end of the week." Sasuke said confidently.**

** Naruto gave him a queer look. "Are you smiling?"**

** "No…just feeling at ease. And a little exhausted."**

** They ran another cycle of exercises and walked out of the park. Surprisingly, they stayed side by side for most of the way. Naruto looked around and saw many of the passer byes shunning them. "We're still in the dog house." He said sadly.**

** "It really shouldn't phase us if you think about it. We both lived by ourselves from like 6 or 7."**

** Naruto sighed. "You had the experience of family though."**

** Sasuke sighed. "You knew what it was like not to have them. We're not that different."**

** "Yeah…I know. Cept you're still a stuck up prick."**

** Sasuke smirked. "And you're a bothersome stupid…."**

** Both of them stopped and looked at each other. Sasuke gave Naruto a minor smile, a moment of pleasing happiness. "See you tomorrow." He walked off giving Naruto a slight wave and not noticing the slight droop in Naruto's face as if a hammer of disappointing loss smacked him hard in the kisser. He watched Sasuke vanish then slowly slinked up to his apartment.**

** As Naruto entered, a sight smell entered into his nose and his eyes brightened wide as he looked about the room and spied the bowl covered by a towel on his kitchen table. He pulled the towel off to uncover beloved, joyous……ramen!**

** He gasped like a little child, unable to contain his sudden joy as he bounced up and down before the delightful present. Snatching the letter at the base of the bowl, Naruto all but teared up at what it said…**

**"Screw the Hokage, let him rage till he throws things from his office. This is our gift to our best friend in his time of need. We know you won't lose Naruto, Give em hell boy and show em what wonders can be done in the hands of our hyperactive champ!"**

**Your favorite Ramen Shop**

** What could be so wonderful to Naruto's spirits than this? He attacked the bowl viciously, devouring each sweet and sour spirit till he licked the bowl in a orgasm of "bowl sex" which he dubbed the proper cleaning and recovery of every morsel. He sat back in his chair fully satisfied.**

**Sasuke's Apartment**

** He stood silent in the center of the apartment in deep meditation, his hands and fingers locked into intricate signs that helped to steady the mind and senses. Sasuke's body exploded into complex martial movements, his breaths timed with the sweeps and punches of his fists combined with sweeping kicks and fast lunges to avoid an invisible opponent.**

** Then he frowned and relaxed. There was no joy in doing it alone. He stood pouting and looking around. "I actually miss Naruto, now isn't that dumb?" He said to himself. "I actually want that idiot here…damn maybe I am….oh hell no!"**

** Sasuke snorted. "I really want him around. I don't need anyone! Fuck why do I want someone hanging around me, I got better things, more important things to focus my time but fuck!...." Sasuke snarled. "Fuck it sucks having to kick air and not spar with a real challenge!" He walked to the door and would have ran over to Naruto's place had better judgment not stopped him.**

**A week later**

** Master Kushino, Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side pondering and looking at the free standing support post tilting their heads to one side then the other in near unison. Naruto stuck out his tongue as he held a pumb bob in front of his face.**

** "It's leaning to the left."**

** Sasuke replied. "You're not on level ground."**

** Naruto smirked. "If I stood on your head it would be worse."**

** Master Kushino snatched up a big mallet and gave the support a good smack in the side. "Now?"**

** Sasuke gritted his teeth. "You knocked it too far."**

** Naruto rolled his eyes. "At this rate, we'll both be in an old folks home!"**

** Sasuke closed his eyes, walked up to the beam, rubbed his hands on it and suddenly whacked his palms into it! "That's perfect."**

** Naruto huffed. "Showing off again."**

** "Don't you know it?" Sasuke asked as he walked to another beam and lashed rope around it. "Let's get this one up."**

** Naruto walked up to the other side and hooked the rope to a bamboo derrick and pulley construct that used a counterweight to provide the lift which would pull the beam upright. "So why do you Uchiha wear those bell collars?"**

** Sasuke pulled on his and smirked. "It's a chick thing. I think that's how my dad met my mother. This thing….is a chick magnet."**

** Naruto laughed. "Chick magnet?! It hides half your face, talk about ridiculous."**

** Sasuke smirked. "It's never the face. The eyes tell all remember?"**

** Naruto whirled around, sliced a rope and the new support flew upright and landed in its base hole. "If you need to spend your time looking cool? You're not very good with girls."**

** "As if you can talk. I didn't know ramen could be used as an aftershave?"**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "Let's just get done."**

**Afternoon break**

** Sasuke watched Naruto chug down his water and played with a kuni in his fingers. "We have some time before we start up again, want to spar?"**

** Naruto frowned. "And risk being suspended because we got out of control?"**

** Sasuke slapped him in the chest. "Come on. Fair on fair and no impact shots."**

** Naruto watched as Sasuke stood up and assumed a combat stance. "Koits! Combat-ay Naruto-Kun."**

** Master Kushino stood to the side and watched Naruto pop up into a boxer stance. "Don't let me hurt you."**

** "I wouldn't dream of it." Sasuke replied as he came at Naruto with a flurry of punches. Naruto blocked one, swung Sasuke's arm around and patted him in the head.**

** "Temple shot!" Naruto said smirking as he pushed Sasuke back. Now he attacked back with several kicks. Sasuke caught a flying leg and stopped a punch short of Naruto's nuts.**

** "That would have hurt!" Sasuke said smiling.**

** Naruto jumped back and looked at Kushino. "I think the master wants us to start working again.**

** Sasuke frowned feeling disappointed in the interruption. Both of them labored into the evening to get most of the support braces laid out. As usual both of them walked from the academy side by side till they reached Naruto's apartment.**

** "See you tomorrow." Naruto said lightly. Sasuke caught the sound of contented joyance and snatched Naruto's arm. "What?"**

** Sasuke looked around. "Can I….could I stay a while?"**

** Naruto sighed. "Remember the rules? We can't have visitors in our…."**

** Sasuke snorted. "That's right. "We" can't. Nobody said "We" couldn't stay in each others apartments."**

** Naruto contorted his face. "Uh….are you queer?"**

** Sasuke almost blew up but slowly patted Naruto's shoulder. "Look, I'm sick and tired of not seeing anyone or talking to anyone. I can only go so long without any contact and you're the only one I see everyday except for Master Kushino's people. Don't you agree that we're being punished too harshly?"**

** Naruto nodded but he was adamant. "Rules are the rules and when I say I'm gonna stick to them and win, I…."**

** "I know…" Sasuke snorted. "You never go back on your Nindo! You fucken suck!" He stomped away shaking his fists in anger, leaving Naruto stunned at the sudden reversal of the Uchiha. He leaned against his front door deeply reconsidering what he did and regretting a little of the cold way he blew Sasuke off.**

** "Well damn him. How many times has he given me the cold shoulder? Serves him right." Naruto said confidently at first then he felt a mourning of sorts as he turned in for the night.**

**CHAPTER 3**

**The main supports were all up within a week and Master Kushino observed that a sudden coldness had fallen between the two boys. Outside of any talk about their work, they didn't speak as much but their competitive thirst against each other had produced boarder smirking and sniping. At one point, Naruto went too far and started messing up the cross members he was putting up between ribs. He spent most of the afternoon paying for his mistakes with a set of sore arms…**

** "Keep your mind on the task." Kushino snorted as he pointed to the growing building and Sasuke. "I don't know what your latest beef with each other is Uzamaki but when it starts messing up work? It means you're not willing to learn anything, which means I should keep you longer."**

** Naruto strained through a set of push ups. "And wipe that mad face off!" Kushino snarled as he struck Naruto's neck with a thin piece of cane.**

** Sasuke wisely kept himself to the task at hand till quitting time came around.**

** They didn't walk together again as they made their way home, Sasuke keeping his distance until Naruto stopped and stood still for a moment with his head turned up. "Hey! I got a big jug of Ocha-mint tea from Konohanamaru yesterday…I can't drink the whole thing before it spoils. Would you…like to come over and have some?"**

** Sasuke pursed his lips tightly. "We'll be breaking the rules."**

** "Bah! The rules are strangling me, I'm sick of talking to myself." Naruto turned slightly and waved a hand. "Aren't you?"**

** Sasuke followed him to his apartment and frowned as he walked through the door. "You have a larger place than me…you suck."**

** Naruto chuckled at the envy. "Really? You got that whole clan compound don't you?"**

** Sasuke shook his head. "I can't live there. Too many bad memories neh?"**

** Sasuke sat on the floor of the kitchen while Naruto filled two cups of tea. "My arms feel like string. Master Kushino can be such an ass hole."**

** "I feel partially responsible." Sasuke said moodingly. He drank some of the tea and miffed. "I shouldn't have been so quick to snap at you."**

** Naruto's mouth gapped. "That's a new twist."**

** Two hours later, the boys were lying on the floor of Naruto's bedroom, their cups spilled over and half the cask of tea consumed. Sasuke wet his lips and tried to move his arms but they felt like a set of soaked noodles. "Naruto…don't look now…but I think we got screwed by a nose dripper."**

** Naruto felt strange. "If that little punk spiked this tea? I'm gonna so murder him!"**

** Sasuke smiled. "Whatever he did? "sigh" I feel absolutely relaxed."**

** Naruto moaned pleasingly. "Maybe I won't kill him after all. "giggles" I tingle all over."**

** They lay there for an hour describing Naruto's bedroom ceiling and laughing at the perceptions and shapes of characters they traced for each other. Sasuke pursed his lips and looked backwards…**

** "Do you think I'm popular Naruto?" He asked smirking.**

** "Duh!" Naruto snorted back. "Why else have I spent so much time trying to make you look like a dork? Yeah you're mister super pop or do the drooling girls not smack you hard enough?"**

** Sasuke rolled over onto his stomach. "What do you define as being popular? Just because every girl knows my name or says she'd throw her panties in my face do you think I'm popular?"**

** Naruto rolled over. "Well yeah! I'd kill for just one nice comment from Sakura."**

** Sasuke sat up. "If I'm so popular then…why don't I have people lolling over my shoulders? I don't have parties at my apartment, I don't play with anyone, when's the last time you ever saw me with a group of people?" Sasuke frowned. "My popularity Is a big fucking myth! I don't want to be popular, hell I've been trying harder to be unpopular!"**

** Naruto sat up and Sasuke poked his forehead with a finger. "Now you? You are very popular, which I can't understand given that you're an absolute moron at times. You can't see that?"**

** Naruto scoffed. "Hanging around with other guys isn't popular."**

** "So….me being here is nothing to you?" Sasuke started to get up till Naruto caught him by the wrist.**

** "No! That's not the reason! I'm….glad you're here! I…." Naruto closed his eyes for a moment from whatever Konohamaru smacked them with. "I….."**

** Naruto played with his lips, thinking of what to say. "I hated you ever since the academy and you know what? I can't figure out a reason why."**

** "I've been a popular, stuck up, bone in your ass, object of envy?" Sasuke questioned.**

** Naruto scratched his head. "You've been so super cool, super stuck up and so super prickish that I had to challenge you. I hated hearing Sasuke this and Sasuke that and I wanna fuck Sasuke that I thought every minute how to usurp you."**

** Sasuke frowned. "Shit! I didn't know I was royalty, I'm getting fucked out of some money!" He scowled his face to the side. "That old 3****rd****…he's cheating me!"**

** Naruto laughed. "We're so messed up right now!"**

** Sasuke giggled, pulled his mouth apart and tongue razzled Naruto. "Gulk, gulk, gulk…I'm more popular than you! But I promise I'll give you a sniff of Sakura's panties when I get em off."**

** Naruto wanted to slap Sasuke's face but he fell over into a giggling heap. It wasn't long before Sasuke too fell on his back and crashed out.**

** It was sometime during the night that Naruto awoke in the familiar stank and darkened haze of his inner being. Once again he stood before the big gates shaking himself to make sure he wasn't still hallucinating and once again the low growling from behind the gates confirmed the obvious.**

** "Uh…..Kyuubi?" He said quietly.**

** The furry snoot and burning yellow eyes came forth. "What do you want rat? Come closer, I can't quite see you."**

** Naruto scowled. "nice try. I didn't want to be here but I kinda got forced into it."**

** The fox snarled. "My hate for you would melt your flesh…I would feel bliss in torturing you."**

** Naruto smirked. "I should remember these saying of yours and get a book written."**

** The fox turned away from him and laid down with it's back to Naruto. "Go away rat. I have no interest in you."**

** Naruto sat down and rested his head on his hands. "Tell me why? Why did you attack the Leaf Village? Why do you hate us humans so?"**

** The fox growled. "Go away vermin before you upset me."**

** Naruto felt sad. "I was hoping you knew things I don't. I never liked you trapped inside me, I never knew the full story. I thought we should at least know each other."**

** The fox raised his head. "I know the story far too much…I told you to go…or would you tempt me to try and take over you body? Perhaps I'll get lucky and rip your friend's throat out with your teeth!"**

** Naruto opened his eyes and looked around the bedroom to see where Sasuke was. He was gone, probably slipped out to go home when Naruto started tossing about. He sat up feeling a hangover from the spiked tea then crashed back down in a heap.**

**Morning**

** "Did we get this far yesterday?" Naruto asked as he looked cock-headed at the building skeleton.**

** Sasuke yawned and nodded. "After last night I didn't worry."**

** "You must have slept well though." Naruto said as he hid the fact Sasuke wasn't in his own place. They performed their morning exercise and continued the routine of adding enforcements to the skeleton. Their rivalry extended even to the placement of nails, which each measured to show how precise one could outdo the other.**

** The attitude of the academy students had changed at last, giving both of them a positive effect. They regarded Konohanmaru with smirky rebuke as he walked by showing off and taunting them. "You didn't know it! I achieved victory!"**

** Naruto snorted. "You're not the 5****th**** Hokage yet brat!" and he almost fell off the ladder he was on had Sasuke not snatched him by the jacket.**

** "We'll figure out a punishment for him later." Sasuke said smiling.**

** Throughout the morning break, students and teachers came up to admire the progress and strangely it was Naruto who got most of the kudos, though many were to both the boys, most personals went to Naruto. Sasuke felt little slighted, used to being left out of most things as an afterthought.**

** That afternoon another Chunin arrived to give an afternoon class in pouring and mixing concrete for walls, which may have been a mistake since most of the mixing ended up on the two rivals after a mixing match devolved into a wrestling match in the mix. Kushino quickly put his own Chunin to task for failing to control the easily unruly pair.**

** They of course didn't escape, the last 3 hours of the day was spent doing fireman carry dashes all over the fitness field, Sasuke complaining most of the time that ramen didn't prevent naruto's "fat ass syndrome"!**

**Naruto's house**

** "Finally!" Naruto shouted as he kicked the door open and threw the bags of groceries on the kitchen bar. "No more eating prison rations!"**

** Sasuke begged to differ as he pulled ramen cups from the bags. "Is this it? Ramen for ever, milk and…..cookies? You are nothing short of a dingbat."**

** Naruto smirked. "I've learned through experience to adapt on the cheep."**

** "And how you can function escapes me." Sasuke snorted.**

**Naruto grabbed a soup pan from his cabinet and started boiling water while he jumped into the bath, leaving Sasuke to sip a soda on the floor. "If we keep this pace up Naruto, I think we can finish the new study in two months."**

**"I give it three." Naruto replied. "Just to be safe."**

**Sasuke pursed his lips as he leaned against the bathroom door. "You know if someday in the future we don't make good ninjas? We could become ninja carpenters."**

**Naruto snorted. "You don't make Hokage on landscaping! Don't tell me you're doubting yourself."**

**"No!" Sasuke replied. "Just thinking how funny it would be to fight off ninja attacks with a claw hammer. "Come any closer and I'll plain your stupid ass!"**

**Naruto laughed. "Take this from the nail gun of pain!"**

**Soon the two of them were standing in the kitchen facing each other and playing a game of slap hands. Sasuke was winning all the bouts….**

**"KERSMACK!"**

**"OUCH! DAMN IT, WATCH IT!"**

**"It's the only way you'll learn Naruto." Sasuke said as he kept faking Naruto out. "Your senses and reaction times are slow. My brother used to do this to me all the time."**

**"KERSMACK!"**

**"Grrrrrrrr……Let's quit for now ok?" Naruto said as he flopped onto his mattress and stretched out. "You going home?"**

**"Well….." Sasuke said thinking. "Mind if I catch a few nods here?"**

**"Now you're starting to worry me." Naruto moaned as Sasuke pulled a pair of shorts from his backpack and vanished into the bathroom. "You're not trying to get close to me for any secrets you can blackmail me with?"**

** Sasuke emerged drying his hair. "I'm not interested. I just want someone to talk too."**

** Naruto lay quietly on his back while Sasuke sat playing with his fingers. "I remember many times in the past when I saw you getting beat up by older guys…I'm…I'm sorry I didn't stop them. I wanted to…"**

** Naruto was looking up. "After what happened to your clan, there were times I saw you all alone and I think you were balling out near the river. I waved to you once but I never…never went down there to….I'm sorry too."**

** Sasuke laughed. "Remember when…..remember when you were running with Shikamaru in the playground and you tried to yell at me and you bashed yourself into that swing set bar?"**

** Naruto laughed. "I cracked my stupid head open! Yeah! And I was laughing like such a dumb ass!"**

** Sasuke sighed warmly. "You can be such a dumb moron…but a good one Naruto." He laid down and slowly wrapped a finger around one of Naruto's like a chain link. "This is how I feel about you…honestly."**

** Naruto was shocked. The interlocking fingers were a symbol of friendship so close as to be brothers near blood. He couldn't say anything, he spent time trying not to cry when the fingers got tighter. Instead he clocked off the small lamp beside them and whimpered himself to sleep.**

**Chapter 4**

**A month later…**

** Naruto stood in the street waiting for Sasuke and another instructor to show up. The pace of the construction had sped up swiftly, so much so that Naruto thought he was hallucinating because he couldn't remember doing half the things that were showing up every morning. He began to suspect that Master Kushino was helping the pace to get the two back into the Genin ranks. Naruto thought of Sasuke and looked at his watch.**

** "Damn they're late. Wonder if they took the day off?"**

**Finally he saw Sasuke alone coming down the street. "Hurry up Sasuke! Where's our babysitter?"**

** Sasuke showed Naruto a note. "We're on our own. They trust us."**

** Naruto smiled. "Bad decision don't you think?" He then wondered about Sasuke's appearance. He looked a little worn in the face. "Did you sleep at all?"**

** Sasuke cut him a scowl. "Don't start fretting. You'll sound like Sakura and piss me off."**

** Naruto shrugged. "You just look tired."**

** "COUGH! COUGH!" "Just drop it."**

** "That cough…."**

** Sasuke stopped cold. "Naruto? Drop it before I take a swing!"**

** "OK! OK!" Naruto said defensively. "It looks like it'll be a little cooler today."**

** Sasuke smirked slightly. "We're almost done with the outside too. I was hoping we'd be finished in time for that new movie coming out…COUGH! COUGH!"**

** Naruto wisely kept to himself but his concerns grew when they went through their exercises and Sasuke stopped to hack up balls of flem. He quickly grabbed his tool bag and avoided Naruto as he scaled up a ladder and started on placing roof tiles.**

** It was a few hours later that Naruto could no longer hold back his fright. "Sasuke! You're really sweating up buckets, you should take a break."**

** Sasuke pointed his hammer at Naruto's face. "Get back to setting these tiles. I'll finish out the day and go to bed early alright! I want to get this done and over with as much as you."**

** Naruto turned around cursing to himself at Sasuke's stubbornness and laid another tile. When he turned back around for another he caught Sasuke in mid-flight, his eyes rolled up, his body listless. He landed with a hard smack on his back and started to topple off the roof!**

** "AH!!" Naruto made a leap but missed Sasuke's shirt as he fell away. He was about to fly off the edge of the roof when Naruto screamed…."MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!"**

** The clones were popping up in a quickly forming chain, hands on ankles on ankles chasing the falling Sasuke down the side of the building till one of them snatched him by the leg. Naruto quickly ran down the chain of clones, much to their anger as he stomped on a few vulnerable crotches on his way down. He grabbed Sasuke and rolled him to lay on his chest as the clones vanished.**

** "Sasuke! Sasuke…..come on buddy…." Naruto felt Sasuke's forehead and gasped. "You're like a furnace! Fuck! Why do you have to be such a stubborn bastard?!"**

** Naruto looked around the Acadamy grounds but with it being the weekend of Golden Week, no one was around. "Shit!" Naruto snorted.**

** "Multi-Shadow clone Jutsu!" Naruto snorted out and two Naruto clones appeared.**

** "I told you he was gay."**

** "Yup….totally gay."**

** Naruto stood up snarling. "Both of you idiots do Rock, Paper, Scissors now!"**

** The two clones went into the game…"Jo Ken Poi! Ne Kana Shoy!"**

** "I won! I won….you suck!"**

** "Fuck off!"**

** Naruto touched the loser with a hand. "Sorry pal. Shadow Mimic Clone Jutsu!"**

** The clone vanished in a puff of smoke and when the cloud vanished…a clone of Sasuke stood with his usual prick smirkiness.**

** "What did you do that for?" The other Naruto clone said snorting. "One of these guys is enough!"**

** The Sasuke clone huffed. "Now there's two idiots. I can't tell which one of you suck the most."**

** "Fuck you jerk!" Naruto's clone snorted back.**

** "Bring it loser!" The Sasuke clone snarled.**

** "SHUT UP!" Naruto screamed. "I've got no time for this shit, Sasuke's sick! I need you guys to work here while I take care of him, please don't fuck this up for us guys, I beg you!"**

** The Sasuke clone looked at the Naruto clone. "Do you know what to do?"**

** "What do I look like the nail God?"**

** Naruto was about to pull his hair out. "Just fake it guys! Fake it for an hour till I get back!"**

** The Sasuke clone snickered. "You're not running yet?"**

** Naruto grabbed Sasuke onto his shoulders and took off running out of the Academy grounds.**

**Afternoon**

** Sakura was about to head out the door of her apartment when a small figure crashed into her legs and snatched her by the wrist. "Sakura-chan! You gotta come with me, it's a matter of urgency!" Konahanmaru snorted as he pulled on Sakura. "Get the lead out of your ass!"**

** "THWACK!"**

** Sakura gave the youngster a bashing on his skull." I hope you have prayed to the Gods before I reduce you to pre-pre-teen history!"**

** Konahanmaru waved his arms. "You don't understand Sakura-chan! Naruto sent me to get you, Sasuke's in deep trouble!"**

** Sakura snatched the boy by his shirt. "Why didn't you tell me?!"**

** "Hold on!" He replied. "We have to go in ninja stealth! Their futures are in the hands of the great grandson of the great 3****rd**** Hokage!"**

** The stone colored box wiggled down the street to the laughter of passers by. "This is the most stupid jutsu I've ever had to deal with." Sakura complained as she snarled from being chin beaten by Konohamaru's thumping behind. "Will you get your ass out of my face!"**

** "I thought you liked small asses?" Konohanmaru said smiling.**

** "KERSMACK!" The box lifted off the ground from the fist impact.**

** "You punched the grandson of the honorable…."**

** "SMACK, SMACK, KERSMACK SMACK!"**

** "See if I take you anywhere ever again Sakura-chan!" The young boy snarled as he and Sakura climbed the stairs to Sasuke's room. "You ready?"**

** "POOF!" The box transformed into a scene mimicry cloak. "Go through the door before we're spotted!"**

** Sakura slipped inside the apartment and found Naruto holding Sasuke's head in a pillow and swabbing his forehead with cold water. "Thank God! Sakura…he's broiling hot…I kept trying to get him to stop working but he wouldn't listen…you gotta help us!"**

** Sakura knelt down and looked at Naruto harshly. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital?"**

** "I didn't want us to lose any time! If we can't work I know we'll have to work longer to get our head bands back! Sakura please take care of him, I gotta get back to the Academy before we're missed!"**

** Sakura shooshed Naruto back. "Get going before I change my mind and cripple you."**

** Naruto patted Sasuke's arm. "It's ok buddy, you just get well. I got everything in hand."**

** Sasuke groaned as Naruto ran out the door. He held onto Sakura as she pulled his clothes off…"Baka! Baka you stupid idiot!"**

** "Too late Sasuke. Naruto's gone….God help us." Sakura said gasping for some divine providence.**

**The Academy**

** Naruto came to a sliding stop and took out his double clone with a swinging kunai. "Ok…just follow me and do what I do and we won't have any trouble." He said to the Sasuke clone as he pushed him towards a ladder.**

** Naruto quickly showed the clone how to hammer and had to force himself to concentrate deeply to keep the chakrah stable so the clone wouldn't suddenly vanish as people passed by the academy. When a Chunin showed up to check on their progress, he soon got board listening to the two boys arguing over their nail measurements and left.**

** "Good work." Naruto said smiling.**

** "You're still a stupid idiot." The clone replied.**

** Master Kushino showed up as the two were cleaning from the days work, Naruto making sure to keep the clone on the roof away from the master builder. "Looks like you two have made great progress."**

** "Could be a little faster." Naruto said sniping at his clone.**

** "If you'd stop talking we'd be done by now!" The sasuke clone snapped back.**

** Kushino laughed and patted Naruto's shoulder. "Just keep from killing each other again and you'll be done soon. See you both tomorrow."**

** Naruto and the clone walked through a few winding streets before he made it vanish. Naruto suddenly felt weak in the legs and had to catch himself on the side of a house. He brought his hand up to his eyes and winced. "Ugh….! Man am I spent…." He felt every joint giving him pains as he walked and his head was cloudy with tingling and shots of migraine surges. At one point he vomited into a trash can. "What the hell? I couldn't have used up that much chakrah?"**

** It took some time to get home and the usually negotiable stairs became a nightmare of shooting pains and discomfort. He was almost at the door to the apartment when it hit, a building chest pressure that suddenly turned in a violent seizing. Every muscle seemed to constrict all at once!**

** "Gnah!....Gasp, gasp…..Nnnnnah!" Naruto was horrified! He was having a heart attack? He stumbled back against a railing holding his violently exploding chest. With one last effort he threw himself against his door, breaking the lock and crashing on the floor inside. "Gnah…….uh……Kyuubi!.......ah…….help…..me……."**

** Naruto awoke in the dark netherworld on his back. At first he thought it had all ended and that he was in some sort of black hell, a fate he thought so undeserving after all he'd been through in his life. But the unwelcome reassurance of that growling flea bag told otherwise.**

** He sat up groaning as Kyuubi sat behind the gates glaring at him. At first glance Naruto had to double-take the image. It seemed the Kitsune had grown….a little short.**

** "You're very lucky rodent. You were about to die till I saved you. You exhausted so much Chakrah that your body became your only power source. You were turning your muscles into dried meat."**

** Naruto stood up and snorted. "You should be….bigger?"**

** "If you try this again…the next time I won't be able to save you….you will die. Whatever is compelling you to risk your life, it must be very important to you."**

** The kitsune snarled as it paced around. "You and I are not far different. You should have an understanding of my hate since you have been so much the target of wrath. They hate you boy, they despise you and if you die they will make haste to burry you. Why risk death for so undesirable these pathetic vermin?"**

** Naruto clenched his fist. "Go fuck yourself fox."**

** "What price then? What price for your precious recognition? To be loved and not hated? What cost to keep your ruse?" Kyuubi said as he aimed his gaze into Naruto's eyes…"I can help you…for a cost."**

** Naruto frowned. "For what? You have nothing to give and no bargain to help you."**

** "My Chakrah I can give you." Kyuubi snickered. "You already had a tempting taste of my powers whelp. Can you dare say you did not enjoy the experience?"**

** Naruto frowned. "I already figured your bargain fox and you can shove it in hell!"**

** Kyuubi snarled. "Without me you are doomed to fail….or doomed to die. These sloth will rejoice in your death and throw your body into a river. Even those who say they love you will coward while you're cursed."**

** Naruto snapped. "FUCK YOU! If a deal with you means taking my body so you can kill everyone I love you can go to hell!"**

** "FILTHY MAN CREATURE! DISEASE ON THE LAND, INFESTATION OF ROTTEN FLESH!!"**

** "BLOOD SMELLING, MURDERING, ASS HOLE FOX!"**

** Kyuubi and Naruto went back and forth throwing tirades and murderous insults till they both sat back to back against each other with the gates separating them.**

** "Do you know what it's like to be hunted runt? To be alone on the land, not seeing others of your kind? Watching loved companions be trapped then skinned alive while you coward in fear? To never feel the loving Earth under your feet or the warm body under you while you make love? To be utterly…..alone?"**

** Naruto snorted. "Trust me…thanks to you ass hole I've had my fill."**

** Kyuubi turned his head. "I will help you. I will give you Chakrah. If only to feel and smell the forest again for a short time from your body."**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "And I should trust you? I'm not stupid."**

** Kyuubi turned around and whispered softly. "I will let you have my Chakrah anyway. I must after all keep my vessel alive. Perhaps we can reach an agreement?"**

** Naruto pursed his lips. "Trusting you? That'll take a thousand years."**

** "We shall see won't we?" Kyuubi said as he vanished into the darkness of his cell.**

** Naruto awoke on the floor of his apartment and felt himself over. Aside by a foul taste in his mouth he had indeed been saved by the fox. He looked around the room and deeply considered what Kyuubi said. "I don't care if he gives me a fifth of his Chakrah, I'm not giving that flea bag a damn thing, least of all my damn body…" Naruto thought pervertedly…"Probably have me rape a dog or something sick! Ugh…..fuck that!"**

**CHAPTER 5**

** Naruto felt totally rested as he sat on his mattress and gazed at the reddish hue rolling around his hand. Only once before had he experienced Kyuubi's Chakrah before and the memories were scant yet horrifying. He pondered, he worried about becoming enticed to it, used to it, in love with it. For the first time in his life, Naruto closed his eyes and thought of a God, any God that might be open to his harkening. He was sure Kyuubi would be listening….he made it quick….**

** "Help me keep my whits…keep my mind on my friends…."**

** When he opened his eyes, Naruto clasped his fingers together and called forth a clone. He then turned it into a Sasuke clone.**

** "This is such a putrid form." It said smirking evilly.**

** Naruto's eyes shot up. "What the?....Kyuubi?"**

** "Hmph…who did you think it was whelp?"**

** Naruto was about to wipe the cloan away when it caught his arm. "Steady yourself boy. Don't think that making another clone is going to have any effect." The Sasuke clone threw Naruto's arm away and walked around him. "Fear not, I'm still trapped. All I am is essence, you still have complete control of the clone…as….ugly as this body is. You like this…Sasuke?"**

** Naruto snatched the clone by it's Uchiha shirt. "You listen to me flea bag. You screw this up and I'll never make a deal with you, you can forget about it you hear me! If I have too I'll find a way to kill myself and take your sorry ass with me, you got it?!"**

** The clone cocked his head sideways. "As I told you whelp, you have complete control of the clone. At least I get to feel what it's like to move, to touch…and trust me the experience of being in a filth ridden human body devoid of beauty, fur and form is as loathing an experience as I wish."**

** Naruto pulled the clone behind him. "Just act like Sasuke at least….and don't say too much!"**

** As they walked, Naruto felt no drag, no effects of loss from keeping the clone stable. Only a ticklishness bothered him, which had to be from the Fox's Chakrah stream moving from the pit of Naruto's gut out to the clone.**

** "So…slow." Kyuubi said. "So…pathetically slow."**

** "Is this all you do is bitch?" Naruto scolded. "It's better than having a mouth full of fur from licking your ass."**

** "Hmph….so many disadvantages to this form, no wonder humans have to invent deadly weapons to compensate for their disarmed flesh."**

** Naruto stopped the clone and snarled. "How about….you shut your trap? Unless you have something nice to say? Don't say a thing."**

** They walked into the academy grounds and went up on the roof. "Now we're going to finish putting these slates on. You watch me and do what I do." Naruto placed a wood slate on the open framework and hammered nails down each side. "Now you try."**

** Kyuubi studied the hammer oddly. "How does this work?"**

** Naruto formed the Clone's hand around the hammer handle and showed Kyuubi a single strike. He watched as the Sasuke look-a-like swiftly hammered the slate into place.**

** "You pick up quickly!" He said surprised as Kyuubi started laying slate after slate in rapid succession. "Try not to do it that quick!"**

** The clone smirked. "Everything is easy to a long experienced Kitsune." He said with a grin. "Let us see who can out pace who. I will easily dominate you even in this inferior body."**

** Naruto snarled. "You're on."**

** By noon the two of them stood atop the roof pointing out each others faults. "That's 4 whole rows you got crooked. What do you say to that fox? You have to fix em all!"**

** Kyuubi growled through the clone. "I am still superior to you…rat droppings."**

** Naruto waved to passers by as he climbed off the roof then signaled the clone to come down when no one was around. "Let's go inside and see what the roof looks like."**

** Kyuubi was not impressed. "Such a waste of the land. Humans have no idea of the meaning of a good life or the value of the day."**

** Naruto sighed. "Maybe dropping out would be better than being tortured by you every day."**

** The Sasuke clone pruned his face. "Even your sad existence brings me no joy."**

** Naruto jabbed at the clone's side as a Chunin came through the doorless entrance. "The roof looks well done." She said as she looked around the spacious inside. All that's left is to wall up the inside and decide on the layout. You two have made impressive progress."**

** Naruto smiled widely. "When I said we would kick butt….we would kick butt!"**

** The Sasuke clone smirked. "It's been him the whole time. I'll be glad when I don't have to be tortured by his giddy mouthing…..it annoys me."**

** The Chunin spent the afternoon teaching the techniques of interior walling and she allowed them both to leave without evening exercises.**

** As they walked, Kyuubi seemed to be licking at every passing person. "Stop flicking your tongue." Naruto snarled.**

** Kyuubi snicked evilly. "Nothing would please me more than to sink my teeth into…."**

** "POOF!" Naruto kicked the clone into a puff of smoke and snorted. "That's enough experience for you today." He reached his apartment and smiled as he saw more of his stuff had been returned. He seemed oblivious to the visitor sitting in an easy chair as he went to the fridge to grab a soda and ramen.**

** "Naruto!" A loud happy voice exclaimed that almost sent Naruto running. It was Rock Lee standing with his hand on a hip and Guy's trademark standing thumb outstretched in confident rigidity." I asked to personally put some of your furnishings back in order to cheer your coming victory!"**

** "Bushy Brow!" Naruto cheered as he put his ramen and soda down to embrace the cocky bowl cut haired student of Guy Sensei.**

** "We're all pulling for you and Sasuke-kun. The new Study will be the example of what youth can do under adversity. We are proud of you!"**

** "Thanks buddy." Naruto replied smiling. "Ramen?"**

** "Please?" Lee asked. "I have been training all day and I am famished."**

** The two of them shared the floor sucking down noodles and exchanging stories. Naruto seemed disturbed by one of Guy's training methods. It seems he'd been taking Lee to other villages and making him a sucker target for local ruffs to try and steal or mug him.**

** "That's not right!" Naruto snorted. "It's an unnecessary risk of your life Lee!"**

** "Guy Sensei says I need real experience under actual combat stress. He would not have exposed me to such situations uncontrolled. And the local police need help to combat run-a-way gangs of rogue nin, I am honored to render my skills."**

** Naruto waved his chopsticks. "Just watch yourself ok? Don't push your luck."**

** Lee gave Naruto a quick salute. "I look forward to seeing you back Naruto-kun. Perhaps you and I could team up to take on some of these ruffians? We would be a formidable force of youth."**

** "I'll take you up on that." Naruto replied confidently. "Right now I just want to get to bed."**

**CHAPTER 6**

** Master Kushino was in his office reviewing a coming construction project with his "First" Rhiku Jinpei when they were interrupted by Genin who passed a note to Kushino with a bow.**

** Kushino read it for the moment then crunched it in his hand. "Go tell them I want to see them here."**

** "Yes Master." The Genin bowed.**

** Back at the Academy, Naruto and the Sasuke clone were plastering the inside of the study hall. The week had gone by unexpectedly pleasant from the fox, which registered distrust from Naruto. Kitsune by legend were deviant tricksters prone to mind games.**

** "I'm curious…" Kyuubi said softly. "You've been abused, beaten, seldom if ever loved since you were in swaddling and yet you hold no grudge. This is strange to me, I have always known humans to be vengeful creatures. I could make you a powerful human far faster than this….Hokage title you seek and yet you throw away such a grand opportunity? Why?"**

** Naruto didn't answer. He wisely kept a blank face as he spread his plaster.**

** "It is insulting not to answer or do you have some animal in you after all?"**

** Naruto calmly replied. "I chose not to answer because you're annoying me."**

** The Sasuke clone threw his trawl into a bucket. "Foolish imp! I offer you greatness, how dare you!"**

** Naruto snarled. "You offer me a terrible life of loneliness and brutality. Iruka-Sensei taught me that power lust leads to an early death. That's not for me! When I'm an old man on his death bed, I want to be surrounded by love knowing that people cared about me and that I was known as a good man who led a good life"**

** "Hmph…." Replied Kyuubi "A frivolity."**

** "I'm not the moth eaten bastard stuck in a cage alone." Naruto sniped. "You're only known for the terrible things you've done. You're hated, despised, imprisoned and alone and when the last light fades for you fox? It will fade with you still sitting in your own piss in a rat hole of a cell."**

** The Sasuke clone scowled and turned. "Go to hell vermin…."**

** Naruto smiled a little. Somehow he'd struck home with a nice prick to Kyuubi's pride and it pleased him.**

** Sounds of foot falls soon entered the hall. "Uzamaki and Uchiha, the Master wishes to see you both." Said the engineer Genin who bowed and walked out.**

** Naruto smiled. "Maybe this is it! We'll….." He looked at the Sasuke clone with a scornful look…."Me and the real Sasuke will get our headbands back!"**

** Quickly cleaning up from their work, Naruto and the clone walked over to the one-story office of the Engineer Battalion and stood outside the door adjusting their clothes. "All you have to do is say "yes and no Sir" and don't talk."**

** Kyuubi smirked. "I just may decide to ruin it all for you in one stroke."**

** Naruto snarled. "Don't push your luck. I'm just crazy enough to rip my own belly open. Maybe I'll slit your neck with a lucky poke."**

** The Sasuke clone frowned deeply as Naruto led the way into Master Kushino's office. "Master? Uzamaki and Uchiha reporting!" Naruto said cheerfully.**

** The door hadn't shut when Kushino made a quick sweeping move with his good arm and sent a tomahawk flipping through the air to cleave through the Sasuke clone and imbed itself in the wall behind. Naruto's face shook with horror as the clone exploded in a puff of smoke and Master Kushino brought his good fist down with a thundering crash atop his desk.**

** "DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD PULL OFF THIS INSULT?!!" Kushino screamed as he cleared his desk of anything not nailed down and roared at Naruto till he was in his face. "YOU LITTLE PIECE OF RAT DUNG, WHERE IS THAT UCHIHA BASTARD! EXPLAIN YOURSELF NOW!!"**

** Naruto shook. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF NOW!!" The master slapped Naruto hard across his face. "DO IT BEFORE I PUT YOU ON THE FLOOR!"**

** "He was sick!" Naruto said trembling. "He got sick and I paniced! I….didn't want us to be kept back so I…."**

** "WHAT A PATHETIC EXCUSE! Well….you both came so far and yet this?"**

** Kushino was reaching for his phone when Naruto pounced on his hands. "Master please! Please….." Naruto bowed his head. "I am responsible…I goaded Sasuke into that stupid fight…I disgraced him….I am the one who should be punished but not Sasuke I beg you Master!"**

** Kushino looked unmoved….**

** "I give up everything…my dreams….my headband….my wish to be a Hokage….none of it will be worth anything if Sasuke's hurt by it. I will give up everything if you'll let Sasuke get his headband back…"**

** Naruto lowered his head shamefully. "Please Master….I beg of you."**

** Kushino nodded. "You would do this? Give up everything for someone I hear has been nothing but a torment to you. You would do this for him?"**

** Naruto nodded. "He is my comrade…my team mate…and my best friend despite our differences. I owe him nothing less."**

** Kushino nodded and pursed his lips. "Sit down Uzamaki and unlock your legs before you faint on me."**

** Naruto took a seat. "Uzamaki…" Master Kushino said as he dragged a chair over and sat down. "I am known as a hard man, ask my engineers, I expect beyond the best when it comes to hard work. But when one of them is sick? I am a tender and loving man. Had you told me Sasuke was sick? I would not have kept you both back nor penalized you. In fact I knew Sasuke was sick a week ago because it was Sasuke who told me."**

** Naruto's mouth dropped. "Before you fly off the ax handle Naruto-Kun? Sasuke told me that he got sick because he was getting up and working during the night. You know what his excuse was?"**

** Naruto shook his head.**

** "He wanted "us" to finish as fast as possible. We had to get back into the field. We need to get back to training. We have a destiny to meet. Everything from his mouth was "we,we,we…"**

** "He also worried about you. He told me I had to stop you before you killed yourself."**

** Naruto felt low. He covered his face till Kushino pulled his hands off. "Your actions were a little hasty….inventive….crazy…but from what I've seen you acted with honor and it looks as if you've both gone the extra mile to prove something to each other."**

** Kushino stood up. "Go home Naruto-kun. I'll have the rest of your belongings restored to your apartment. Go see Sasuke, my engineers will finish the study hall."**

** Naruto shook his head and snorted. "No Master…We started it, we shall finish it. I made a promise to see it through and I will keep that promise."**

** He stood up and thumped his chest. "That's my Nindo and I'm standing by it!"**

** Kushino smiled. "We will see you in the morning then….dismissed."**

**Sasuke's Apartment**

** The aches were still a torment as Sasuke slowly stood up from his chair and stretched. He was at the trail end of the flu that had knocked him senseless and he thought for a moment of going to the academy to see if Naruto was still carrying through with his attempted deception. If the Master had decided to lead the poor knucklehead on, Sasuke could only dream of how Naruto would take it. Hopefully most of the tools would be locked up by then.**

** Sakura was in the kitchen space making Mizo soup when Naruto ran by her and almost knocked Sasuke off his feet when he gave him a tight bear hug from behind!**

** "BAKA NARUTO-KUN!" Sasuke snarled as he broke out of the hug and whirled around, caught Naruto by a wrist and flipped him onto the floor.**

** "So you're ok?!" Naruto asked as he lay giving Sasuke a dumb grin. "You are coming back to work?"**

** Sasuke snorted. "Of course I am. I wouldn't dream of letting you finish so you can get all the glory."**

** Naruto stood up. "Right. The faster we finish this, the faster we can really start training!"**

** Sakura placed the Mizo on the kitchen table. "Don't stand there all day having an orgasm of male ego or your soup will get cold."**

** Sasuke walked over to Sakura and unexpectedly…..hugged her. "Don't think I don't appreciate you Sakura."**

** "Yeah!" Naruto joined in the hug session too…till Sakura bounced him off the head. "I WAS ENJOYING A TENDER MOMENT WITH SASUKE-KUN!"**

** "Well….I….." Naruto backed away till Sasuke walked up and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "You crazy fool. Don't think for a second I'm going to ease up on you because you did something good." Sasuke snickered. "I intend to have you licking the heels of my sandals for the rest of our lives."**

** Naruto smiled evilly. "Don't count on it. But…." Naruto's face softened. "I'll never forget how much of a pal you really are."**

** Sasuke gave Naruto his trademark smirk and shook him confidently. "So long as we don't kill each other?"**

** Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's arm. "So long as we don't destroy the village… jerk."**

** "Idiot."**

** "Shitsuke."**

** Sakura threw her hands up and walked out. "You two haven't learned a damn thing!"**

** Sasuke pursed his lips. "Does she have issues?"**

** "Nah…." Naruto said smiling. "She has nice tits though."**

** "I just noticed."**

**3 Weeks Later**

** They had been standing together for the past 3 hours and Naruto's growing complaints were beginning to get annoying. Sasuke butted him with an elbow when he started fidgeting. "Quit it. They're almost finished."**

** "What is he doing? Measuring every corner?" Naruto said out of the side of his mouth. "I'm getting hungry."**

** "Ugh…you're starting to become annoying." Sasuke groused.**

** Kushino and Susine came out of the door of the new hall and approached the two boys as they nervously scanned the assembled crowd who came to see what they had built.**

** The old woman added tension as she stood before them with a stone cold gaze. "To say I am pleased? Would not do honor to what you two have done here. You have turned a moment of selfish mayhem into a work of honor. I am privileged to return these to both of you….well done."**

** Sasuke took both the head protectors and gave Naruto a snarled face. "No one should give this to Naruto but a member of Team Seven." Sasuke wrapped the headband around Naruto's head and bound it tightly with a good strong tug. "Next time…keep this on."**

** Naruto took Sasuke's and did the same. "That might be tough…considering I'll sooner or later leave you kissing the back of my boots when I'm your Hokage!"**

** Sasuke snickered. "When dogs fly."**

** "That's pigs dumb dork."**

** Sasuke pushed on Naruto's chest. 'Wanna take this outside the gates?"**

** "You're so on!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically. They ignored the cheering crowd on the Academy grounds and raced for the main gate exchanging insults against each other.**

** Susine shook her head. "Should I call the Anbu Master Kushino?"**

**"Nope…you should sell tickets and call the hospital." Kushino replied. ** "My bet's on them burning down the forest. Guess I'd better get a supply of shovels and axes."

As the sun started to vanish below the vast expanse of the tress and hills around the village, Sasuke's screaming could be faintly heard above the rustling brush and beyond the high village walls….

'WHERE DID THAT RED TAIL COME FROM?!"

The End


End file.
